Thread clamping and shearing means



} May 26, 1925.

/ H. D. COLMAN THREAD CLAMPING AND SHEARING mums '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i eq M a y v. 1925 M QMN n Rm H. DJ COLMAN THREAD CLAMPING AND SHEARIIiG MEANS Filed May '7. 1925, 3 Sheets-Sheet vllllrtrlllfllfl Patented May 26, 1925.

UN ED STATES HOWARD D. COLMAN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINGIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO BARBER-COLMAN COM- PANY, O F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS A oonronn'rion 011' ILLINOIS;

THREAD CLAMPING AND snnnnrno inserts.

Application filed May 7,

[ all 207mm it may concern:

lle it known that I, Howinu) D. COLM N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Vinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Thread Clamping and Hhearing lileans, of which the following is a s n-zcilication.

This invention relates to thread clamps, and more particularly to a clamp 01' such character but when the threadis drawn into the clamp the thread will be automatically clamped and severed.

The invention has special, although not exclusive, 1=e'l"erene to means tor holding the end oi. the thread oi a reserve bobbin in an automatic winder 0 1 some such type as that disclosed in the Colman Patent No. 1,207,977 dated ll'lay 28, 1918. Inthe operationof the machine shown in the Colman Patent, the operative linds the end of the thread on a reserve bobbin, places the bobbin in the bobbin holder, and draws the thread into the spring clamp shownin Fig. 57 of the patent. The portionoit the thread. held in the hand at the operative and extending to the clamp is then broken off and discarded. In the operation of breaking off the surplus threadportion, the thread sometimes parts at such a point that it escapes from the thread clamp. with the result that "the thread of the reserve bobbin is not held in position for operation thereon by the traveling windertending mechanisn'i. At other times, the surplus tlnfead-portion is not broken oil close enough to'the thread clamp, thus leaving an objeotionably long thread to bedisposed of by the winder-tending mechanism.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for clamping the reserve thread andtrimniing .it to ,a predetermined length by means which shall be automatirally actuated in the single act of drawing the thread into the clamp. V

In theacrompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a :lragmental view of a winder showing how a thread-clamp embodying the present .invention is related to the bobbin-holder. F g. 2 is a fragmental plan .view upon a larger scale than that employed in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a rear view of the thread clamp, that is to say, a view taken from the lefthand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a .front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. is a plan view of the thread clamp with in the plane of line 8- 8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9

is a view sin' ilar to 1 g. butshowing the clan'ip closed. Fig. 10 is a fr aginentalperspeetive view of the sheari1 1g and clamping means, per se. Fig. 11 is a View taken in the'planes offline 11-11 of Fig. 5. 1

Referring to Figs. 1 and it, A the bobbiii-holder, and B is the thread clamp, considered as a whole. The thread clamp'B is attached to a bracket C means of a bracket 1 (Fig. 11). i prises a vertical web 2 which is seenred to the bracket C by means of a screw D extending through an opening 3. The'bracket 1 further comprises a horizontal Web 41 which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to,-the thread clamp housing. Integral with the bracket 1 isa thread-guidingfinger a.

'lhethread clamp proper is enclosed within a housing consisting of a main section 6 and a cover T (Fig. 11). The main sect-ion 6 comprises a bottom wall 8 and two parallel flanges!) and 10. The cover 7 has a hook 11 adapted to enter an opening 12 in the flange to e 10; and the flange 13 is adapted sprung over the flange 9.

The means'for clamping and shearing the thread comprises a clamping jaw .14 (Fig. 10) having a stenrl lff, ashearing blade 15, and an intermediate pivoted clamping and shearing jaw 16. The clamping andjshean ing means is held in proper position within the housing 6 by means including a spring clip .17 (Figs. 7, wand 11) which is formed integral with the stem 14?, and is adapted to frietionally engage the bottom Wall 8 of thehousing and the lower face of the bracket portion @L. The lower ,wall Sis notched, as Shown at 18, to accommodate theclip. On the stem 1 1 ,is an upwardly extending lug 17 which engages the cover 7, whereby said coverserves to hold theshearing and clamping mechanism against [upward displaoement. 1

The clamping and shearing jaw ;16 is connected to the clamping jaw 14 by means of a rivet 19 11) which extends through the jaw 14. and a bushing 20,.said rivetserving to secure the bushing to the In this View, the thread The bracket 1 00111? iii d jaw 141. The head of the rivet 19 lies within an opening 21 in the bottom wall of the housing.

The shearing blade is formed of resilient material and is detachably secured in proper relation to the jaws 1 1 and 16 by means including a clip or holder 22 formed integral with the upper branch of the clip 17. In the shearing blade 15 is an opening 23 through which the bushing extends. T he, shearing blade 15 has a stem 24 adapted to be sprung into the clip 22.

As best shown in Fig. 10, the coacting edges of the jaws 1st and 16 are sufliciently dull so as to clamp the thread between them, whereas the coacting edges of the jaws 15 and 16 are sharp enough to shear the thread. As indicated in Fig. 8, the coacting edges of the three blades are so arranged with relation to one another that the thread is clamped before it is severed. As will be understood from Figs. 7 and 8, the spring blade 15 furnishes the pressure necessary to clamp the thread between the jaws 141 and 16.

The means for swinging the clamping and shearing jaw 16 comprises, in this instance, athree-arm lever 25, a gun segment 26 fixed with relation to the lever 25, and a gear segment 27 formed integral with the jaw 16. In the construction herein shown, the lever and the segment 26 are tor-med "from an integral piece of sheet metal, said lever comprising'an arm 28 arranged to be engaged by a thread, an arm 29 arranged to be operated by an element E (Fig. 2) on the travelling winder-tending mechanism, and a double arm 30. The lever 25 and the segment 26 are pivoted upon a stud 31 which is riveted to the bottom wall 8 of the housing and which extends through an opening in a depressed portion of the cover 7 (see Figs. 2 and 6). One end of a link 32 is pivoted upon a rivet 33 carried by the arm 30. The link 32 extends past the pivot 31 and is connected at its other end to a helically-coiled contractile spring 3% which is anchored to a lug 35 rising from the clip 17.

The arm 29 projects through a notch 36 in the wall 9 of the housing. The cover 13 is cut away, as shown in Fig. 1, to accommodate the arm 29., The opposite end walls of the notch 36 serve to limit movement of the clamping and shearing jaw 16. By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that when the clamp is open, the center is slightly at one side of a straight line passing through the pivot 31 and the anchorage for the spring 3 t; consequently said spring serves to hold the clamp in open position.

One end of the bottom wall 8 and the corresponding end of the cover 7 are shaped to provide, in conjunction with the guide 5, a flaring throatway or entrance 3? (Figs. 2 and 5) leading to a slot 33 which extends alongside the jaws 1e and 15 (see Figs. 5

and hen the clamp is open, the shearing and clamping jaw 16 extends across the slot 38 as shown in Fig. 5. So also does the arm 28, said arm consequently being in the path of a thread which is being drawn into the slot 38.

Assuming the clamp to be open, as shown in Fig. 5, the operation is as follows: The operative takes a bobbin in her left hand, finds the end of the thread on the bobbin, drops the bobbin into the bobbin-holder, and draws the thread through the throat-- way 37 and into the slot 38.

The pressure ot the thread against the arm 28 is sufiicient to move the arm until the pivot 33 has passed over center, whereupon the spring 3% throws the three-arm lever 23 into the position shown in Fig. 9, whereby the jaw 16 is swung against the thread, and the thread is clamped and severed as illustrated in Fig. 10. The thread of the reserve bobbin is thus secured in position to be operated upon by the traveling winder-tending mechanism, and is trimmed ml to a delinite length without requiring any attention on the part 01' the operative. At the proper time in the cycle of operations of the winder-tending mechanism, the part E (Fig. 2) travels into engagemeut with the arm 29 and opens the clamp, whereby the reserve thread is released to be disposed of by the wimler-tending mechanism, and the clamp is restored to position to receive another thread.

hen the shearing blade 15 needs to be sharpened or replaced, it may be readily sprung off the pivot 19 and withdrawn from the clip 22. The parts of the shear and clamp herein disclosed may be readily assembled and disassembled.

It will be seen that upon removal of the cover 7 and disengagement of the spring 3 1 from the lug 35, the three-arm lever 25 and the gear segment- 26 may be slipped oil the pivot 31, and the shear and clamp proper may be removed by springing the clip 17 until the head of the rivet 19 is out of the opening 21 and then slipping the shear and clamp to the right (Fig. 7) until the clip 17 is free of the housing.

While I have described the present embodiment of the invention with considerable particularity, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of the various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a housing having a slot and a throat-way leading to the slot, a clamping jaw and a shearing blade within the housing at one side of the slot, an intermediate clamping and shearing aw pivoted within the housing to swing across the lit) slot, said jaw having a gear segment connected thereto, a three-arm lever pivoted within the housing, a gear segment connected to said lever and meshing with the first gear segment, said lever comprising an arm extending across the slot in the path of an entering thread, and an oppositely extending arm projecting from the housing, said lever also comprising a third arm, link connected to the third arm, and a contractile spring connected to the link, said lever being arranged to be thrown slightly over center to a position-where the spring serves to hold the intermediate jaw in open position.

2. The combination of a housing having a slot and a throatway leading to the slot, a jaw located at one side of the slot within the hoi'asing, a second jaw arranged to swing across the slot, a spring tending to swing the second jaw into engagen'ient with the first jaw, and a member extending across the slot in the path of an entering thread for controlling said spring.

3. A. combination clamp and shear consisting of a clamping jaw, a shearing blade, and a combination clamping and shearing j aw pivoted between the clamping jaw and the shearing blade, means for detachably securing the shearing blade in place, and a clip connected to the clamping jaw adapted to secure the whole to a suitable support.

1-. In combination, a combined clamp and shear, a spring for actuating the same, and a member to control the spring, said member being in position to be moved by a thread which is being drawn into the clamp and shear.

5. The combination of a clamp, a spring for actuating the clamp, and a member to control the spring, said member being in position to be moved by a thread which is being drawn into the clamp.

6. The combination of a shear, a spring for actuating the shear, and a member to control the spring, said member being in position to be moved by a thread which is oeing drawn into the shear.

lhe combmation of a clamp, a lever for operating the clamp, said lever comprising two oppositely-extending arms, one for closing the clamp and the other for opening the clamp, the first mentioned arm lying in the path of a thread which is being placed in the clamp. l

8. The combination of a shear, a lever for operating the shear, said lever comprising two oppositely-extending arms, one for closing the shear and the other for opening the shear, the first mentioned arm lying in the path of a thread which is being placed in the shear.

9. The combination of a clamp, a lever for operating the clamp, and a spring for swinging the lever to close the clamp, said lever comprising an arm by means Of which the lever may be swung slightly over center to a position wherein the clamp is held open by the spring.

10. The combination of a shear, a lever for operating the shear, and a spring for swinging the lever to close the shear, said lever comprising an arm by means of which the lever may be swnn slightly over center to a position wherein the shear is held open by the spring.

11. A winder having a thread clamp arranged to be closed by the pressure of a thread inserted into the clamp.

12. A winder having a shear arranged to be controlled by the pressure of a thread inserted into the shear.

13. A winder having a spring-actuated combined clamp and shear arranged to be controlled by the pressure of a thread.

In. testimony whereof, I have hereunto at fixed my signature.

HOVARD D. COLMAN. 

